The 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Hot-lanta.

It's midway through the season. Most players get a few days off to rest, heal, babysit the kids and prepare for the crazy playoff race. But for a select few players, this is not a holiday - it's work.

But fun work!

Tonight is the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills Competition (including the YoungStars Game).

Tomorrow night is the All-Star Game.

What it lacks in intensity, it makes up for in fun. I still remember last year's game, when the broadcasters talked to Marty Turco while he was playing. He would be talking to the guys upstairs about his job and what goes on in his head, and then he'd say something to the effect of "Wait a minute, gotta work for a sec." He'd make a save, then continue on as if nothing happened.

Or how about Lindy Ruff behind the bench for the East and how he'd bring one of his kids behind the bench and kick them out in favour of another kid because the team was losing (okay, so he 'rotated' his kids so that they could all have a turn with Dad).

There may be a lot of players missing from this year's edition of the All-Star weekend, but that doesn't mean that the remaining players are second string by any means. There's still Ovechkin, Lecavalier, Alfredsson, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Iginla...lots of great players indeed.

This is definitely how you should spend your weekend. After all, you always watch hockey on the weekends, right?